Nannying and Politics:

Two words that normally don't inhabit the same space

I spent about three hours yesterday working on QUAD, my latest attempt at writing a novel, when I wrote myself into yet another gaping hole and decided to quit for awhile and reread some postings in Starkeyland.  I was particularly struck by some of the political rants posted a few years ago in response to all the partisan name calling and down right dishonesty.  The thing I noticed about them was that they sounded well informed.  I had done my homework.  I had read all the crap on THE DAILY BEAST, THE NEW YORK TIMES, HUFFINGTON POST, THE DRUDGE REPORT, POLITIFACT, FACTCHECK, and on and on.  If there is anyone out there who actually keeps up with this blog, you will undoubtedly have noticed two things:  first, the postings are coming fewer and farther between, and second, there is precious little politics..

I have explanations for that.  We don't blog so much anymore because we are being the nannies for Willa and Jaydee now that both Ken and Franny have jobs that take them out of the home.  Kathie and I wake up around 5 in the morning.  Instead of going to the Y like we have normally done for the past twenty years or so, we stay home, have coffee, read the paper, watch the football network.  I normally go down to the computer around half past 6 to work on my book.  Then I leave around 8:15 to pick up the girls at their home.  I get back to my home about 9:30.  We usually do something worthwhile with the girls in the morning.  We go to the zoo, or to one of the museums, or to the Botanic Gardens, things like that.  One day a week we hang out at home and have the girls' grandmother, who is currently suffering from Alzheimer's and in an assisted living facility, over for lunch.  Another day we are apt to take them to a park or on a little hike along the South Platte.  On Thursday, the last day of our four day week of nannying, we take them to the Columbine Library to nose around and take Willa to a toddler class.  It's good practice learning to play with others for when she starts real school.

We feed the kids lunch somewhere around noon and if we're lucky put them down for naps at 1:30.  If the naps take, and they usually do, Kathie and I spend a blissful hour hanging out, talking, having a drink or two.  The kids are normally back at it around 3 or 3:30 and we spend the rest of the  day watching a movie (BRAVE, FROZEN, THE LORAX, we've bought them all).  At 4:30 we hook up with Franny at DU and the kids go back home.

There just isn't much time to blog given all that,  but my life does feel richer than it has the past few years and not just because we are getting paid.

I also have an explanation for the lack of political commentary lately.  I figure what's the point?  Ken is still mightily involved in the upcoming midterms, targeting key races around the country for CREDO and coordinating all their activities by focusing on uninformed Democratic voters, the voters, usually young people, who are too lazy or stupid to vote during the midterms, thus guaranteeing that gridlock in Washington will be here to stay.  Franny, on the other hand, is no longer part of the political fray.  Instead, she's working at DU as the Director of Alumni Something Or Other.  She likes it.  She doesn't have to read Mike Allen every morning and watch MORNING JOE. I've followed suit.  I simply don't read about it with the same scrutiny I used to and I'm a happier man for it and, as Ken has pointed out to me on more than one occasion, the country so far is surviving my lack of attention.

With all that in mind, what I'm about to say, instead of being based on my reading, is simply a couple of uninformed knee jerk reactions to the current political season as manifested in political ads.

I don't understand why Mark Udall, who I think is a terrific and truly bipartisan senator, is running such a stupid race.  When the ads from Americans For Prosperity (read: Koch brothers) lambaste Udall for casting the deciding vote for Obamacare, I always get first amazed and then furious and then sad.  Are there really people out there who believe that there was a single deciding vote for Obamacare?  Is the electorate really that stupid?  The answer is an unqualified yes!  When other versions of those attack ads appear talking about how health care cost are still rising (OF COURSE THEY'RE STILL RISING YOU IDIOTS.  NO ONE SAID THEY WOULDN'T.  BUT THEY ARE RISING MORE SLOWLY THAN AT ANY TIME SINCE 1965!),  or that 300,000 folks have lost their insurance (THAT MANY PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR COVERAGE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.  IT HAS BEEN EVER THUS AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OBAMACARE!), or that tons of poor people have seen their premiums increase (OF COURSE THE KOCH BROTHERS ARE NOT MENTIONING THAT PREMIUMS INCREASE AS COVERAGE BECOMES MORE COMPREHENSIVE.  THEY ALSO DON'T MENTION HOW SUBSIDIES WILL EASE THAT PAIN FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE).  In other words, those ads are complete and unvarnished bullshit and yet Udall doesn't fight back.

Of course, Udall is at a huge disadvantage.  The attacks on Obamacare lend themselves to soundbites; the explanations for what's really happening with health care are complicated.  People have to be smart and open minded and patient, three qualities in short supply, to understand them.  And even if they did understand, they would still refuse to believe.  So I go back to my previous comment.  What's the point?

Do us all a favor and vote for Udall.  Do us all a favor and base your vote on truth rather than demonization.